Panasonic launches a second OLED into increasingly crowded waters
The EZ952 sits just behind the flagship… but might be the one to board first
I’ve seen this before…
No, you haven’t. What you’ve seen is Panasonic’s 65-inch EZ1002, an Ultra HD OLED display that the company showed off at CES back in January. It was all about “professional grade image processing” – which meant deep blacks, brilliant colours and, well, a great telly experience.
What’s different about this one, then?
This is the EZ952, a second OLED range. Available in two sizes – 55 and 65 inches – it packs similar 4K Ultra HD and HDR smarts to the EZ1002, with the same HCX2 processor, HDR10 and Hybrid Log Gamma (HLG) ability.
There must be something different about it, though?
Surely. The EZ952 doesn’t have the 1002’s fancy blade-shaped Technics-tuned soundbar – shown above – relying on more conventional speakers. (Which, if you’re any kind of a geek, you’ll be swerving in favour of your kick-ass Dolby Atmos separates system anyway.)
Otherwise, the EZ952 will handle 4K content from Netflix, Amazon and YouTube, as part of the new My Home Screen 2.0 OS. Oh, and there’s a new version of Freeview Play shipping with it, too, complete with search tools that pitch it squarely against the likes of Virgin’s V6 box.
Sounds like a good deal.
Yeah, so long as the 55in and 65in sizes work for you. If not, Panasonic has also announced a larger 77in version of the EZ1002… but it’s not out until Autumn. The 55in EZ952 and the 65in versions of both, are out earlier, in June. We’ll scream as soon as prices arrive, because we know that’s what you’re waiting for, and we’ll update you on the best retailer deals too. Because only a n00b pays list price for a TV.